AIMS AND AMBITIONS

Les bemoans the loss of aims and ambitions in today's society. He believes that the backbone of any club or society is those members who are fully committed to the cause

I have been reading that Rosemary Conley, the slimming expert, thinks that happiness is about having goals, looking forward, and sharing things, and I would certainly go along with that especially the having goals, or targets if you wish.

As a young man, yes all those years ago, I was a keen sportsman. Football was my first love, but in every sport you have goals or targets; without them there isn't a sport. So I believe in every aspect of our lives we should have something to aim for otherwise what's the point.?

Even when I sit in The Globe in King's Lynn reading my EDP, a pint at hand, plus a packet of crisps, (well what's money - you can't take it with you) and the delectable Miss Jones goes by, no that's another subject, that's not Cricket is it? But it brings me nicely to Gooderstone Cricket Club and last months Village Pump and what a superb article from Gordon Mitcheson-Smith under the heading "The Gooderstone Formula" followed by another one "Gooderstone C. C. needs your Help".

I have read and re-read these many times and have put them aside for future reference because yes, some would say they are all about Gooderstone C.C., but I don't see it that way because you only needed a slight adjustment then you could have been reading about any Club or Organisation or whatever not just in Gooderstone but in any of our Villages, including my own, Methwold.

The backbone of any Club, or whatever, is invariably those stalwarts, very often few in number, whose commitment is so commendable. And yet that in itself is to me not enough; what is vital is Leadership and it would appear that at Gooderstone C. C. they have this. Whilst that is in place then the Club can look forward to the future with a degree of confidence.

I almost wrote a "degree of certainty" but nothing in this world is certain, apart from death and taxes so they say, and it is because so very little is guaranteed that this to me is what makes life so stimulating. What a dull world it would be if everything was "certain". You wouldn't have to work for success, just sit back and wait for it to happen. Well it just won't be so.

There is however one thing that I have never been able to understand but then I'm very much from the old school. I'm talking about personal contact. We live in an age when it is so easy to communicate with each other, by e-mail, (I haven't quite got the hang of that yet) by phone, instant contact, but not face to face. It seems everyone is so busy, so we are told, leading such hectic lives, that some have to go to the Supermarket before they can have a conversation with someone, very often with someone who lives a few doors away.

There is one answer which will really set this world of ours alight and that's selective door knocking. You don't like the idea? Well if you really did want to take Miss Jones to the pictures, OK movies then, what would you do? Send her an e-mail? I would be on her door step, and not taking no for an answer, and if at first I didn't succeed, well its old fashioned, but there is no alternative.

Gooderstone C.C. and Miss Jones; what's the connection? Well bowling a maiden over, not funny? Well at least I tried.

Les Lawrence